I only entered the Lairig Ghru race the week before as I've always fancied travelling this route and I thought that I would be able to cover the distance Ok considering all the marathon training I did earlier this year, and this proved to be the case.The race runs 27 miles from Braemar to Aviemore and has 2100 feet of ascent. After all the road running I've been doing I found the tricky bit was tackling the very very rough ground in the middle 7 miles or so when you are actually in the pass. I was totally unprepared mentally for how rocky it was with some sections where you are literally scurrying through boulder fields with no sign of a path. I came a cropper too on the descent when I tripped but got away with cuts and bruises and it didn't slow me down too much. When it finally flattened out a bit and I hit the forest trail I started to crank it a bit and must have passed about 7 runners in the last few miles.
I think I came 25th (the results aren't out yet) out of the 151 starters in a time of 3h53, the winner covering the course in 3h16. It was a really wild and beautiful run and I think I'd like to do the course again but not as a race so I can actually look up now and then to take in the views, instead of constantly staring at the rocks you are trying not to trip over on!! Cheers, Colin
* See me modelling my new Moorfoot T Shirt in the photo!
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